Previously we had discussed a web posting by someone claiming to be Royce Richards which said:

Quote:

I am the Royce Richards made famous (and notorious) by Mr Osmanagich. I made an initial enquiry into the project and then decided to distance myself from it as it looked to me like someone selling snake oil. I have since had my name published in articles in national newspapers in Australia and in international media as an “Australian Archaeologist out to unearth ancient Bosnian pyramids and rewrite the established version of history........”
Its all a big load of bollocks. The “Bosnian Pyramid” is just a shonky attempt by a shonky person to make a name for themselves, its not something I want to be involved with. Its quite annoying as I now get random emails from all kinds of kooks expecting me to be an authority on Bosnian pyramids!! The damage this will do to my professional reputation is yet to be seen..........!
I never gave Mr Osmanagich permission to give my name to any media organisation and I never gave any media organisation permission to put my name in print. For the record I am an archaeologist. For the record I am not involved in the Bosnian pyramid project. For the record I’m pretty annoyed with finding my name given to the media in relation to Bosnian pyramids.

From this weblog: [www.eso-garden.com]

We have received confirmation from Royce Richards that the above comments were made by him. He is not working on the Bosnian "pyramid", never made any agreement to work on the Bosnian "pyramid", and never gave Osmanagich permission to use his name.

He is not a happy camper about this situation.


Additionally we have seen reports from Grace Fegan that she also is not working on the site, despite Osmanagich's claims that she is, I'm working on contacting other archaeologists who have been listed, I know in one case I found one of the archaeologists Osmanagich is claiming is working on site listed in the staff for a different archaeological project for the 2006 season. I'd rather not mention his name until I hear from him directly.

Kat

Ma'at Moderator

Founder and Director of The Hall of Ma'at
Amun: Co-Owner/Co-Moderator
Contributing author to Archaeological Fantasies:
How pseudoarchaeology misrepresents the past and misleads the public
Kat's Personal Site


"If you panic, you're lost" -- W. T. 'Watertight' Southard



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 06/07/06 04:55AM by Katherine Reece.

>>shonky

I just made that my word of the day .

-Joe.

Although officialy an Australian slang word (Slanguage) it has been known to turn up in Hansard, the transcripts of parliamentary proceedings. It's a compound word and all bets are off if you first select "shady" and "risky". No one knows for sure. Best use ... a shonky business or a shonky business venture. Does that describe the BP?

Hi Kat, following the link you posted, there are some doubts as to whether the guy even exists. How did you manage to get confirmation?

As for using people's names and reputations without their permission, isn't that illegal?



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 06/07/06 05:00AM by darkuser.

Doug Weller has been in email conversations with him, the place of his real employment was listed elsewhere on the internet and Doug contacted him there.



Kat

Ma'at Moderator

Founder and Director of The Hall of Ma'at
Amun: Co-Owner/Co-Moderator
Contributing author to Archaeological Fantasies:
How pseudoarchaeology misrepresents the past and misleads the public
Kat's Personal Site


"If you panic, you're lost" -- W. T. 'Watertight' Southard

Kat is correct. Royce also contacted at least one other person I know (funnily enough he doesn't live far from here).

Doug

Doug Weller

Director The Hall of Ma'at
Doug's Skeptical Archaeology site: [www.ramtops.co.uk]

In an "exclusive" interview with Osmanagich located here: [www.piramide-visoko.eu] and other places; Osmanagich states:

"Foreigners on our team include experienced archaeologist such as: Richard Royce from Australia, Allyson McDavid from U.S., Chris Mundligler from Canada, Martin Aner from Austria."

We have already heard from Richard Royce that he is not participating in the "pyramid" excavations and never agreed to, tonight I received an email from Allyson McDavid who also says that she is not participating in the excavations and never agreed to do so, she is also not an archaeologist but is instead an architectural illustrator.

The pattern seems to be holding that people contacted Osmanagich ONCE after seeing a listing on an internet archaeological job site. Then suddenly began to find their names, or were contacted by people who found their names, as archaeologists who were already on the team.

I have more "feelers" out on other people that Osmanagich has claimed is working on site, but who have not been interviewed by the media.



Kat

Ma'at Moderator

Founder and Director of The Hall of Ma'at
Amun: Co-Owner/Co-Moderator
Contributing author to Archaeological Fantasies:
How pseudoarchaeology misrepresents the past and misleads the public
Kat's Personal Site


"If you panic, you're lost" -- W. T. 'Watertight' Southard

His call for volunteers even slipped into the Archaeological Institute of America's online listing of excavation opportunities briefly before being yanked
[www.archaeology.org]

I'd like to point out I am also not working at this site (just in case I randomly turn up on a list somewhere).

In fact, I still stand by my promise to eat my hat if it turns out to be a man made pyramid.

The guy's a crank, a political trixter, or a conman...or all of them.

D

The Osmanagic's Foundation report dated May 18 says that Bruce Hitchner made an arrangement for students and professors of several American universities to actively participate in the Bosnian pyramid research.

I have been in touch with Dr. Hitchner and this information is not correct. He also told me that he does not believe that this is a pyramid and that he told Osmanagic that.



Kat

Ma'at Moderator

Founder and Director of The Hall of Ma'at
Amun: Co-Owner/Co-Moderator
Contributing author to Archaeological Fantasies:
How pseudoarchaeology misrepresents the past and misleads the public
Kat's Personal Site


"If you panic, you're lost" -- W. T. 'Watertight' Southard

In an "exclusive" interview with Osmanagich located here: [www.piramide-visoko.eu] and other places; Osmanagich states:

"Foreigners on our team include experienced archaeologist such as: Richard Royce from Australia, Allyson McDavid from U.S., Chris Mundligler from Canada, Martin Aner from Austria."

As this thread has shown, we have already heard from Royce Richards and Allyson McDavid denying Osmanagich's statement that they are working on the Bosnian "pyramid" project.

I have not been able to contact Chris Mundigler yet, but I have found him listed as a staff member for a reputable archaeological project for the 2006 season. So I doubt he's in Bosnia either.



Kat

Ma'at Moderator

Founder and Director of The Hall of Ma'at
Amun: Co-Owner/Co-Moderator
Contributing author to Archaeological Fantasies:
How pseudoarchaeology misrepresents the past and misleads the public
Kat's Personal Site


"If you panic, you're lost" -- W. T. 'Watertight' Southard



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 06/08/06 11:36AM by Katherine Reece.

The list seems to be growing, doesn't it? It would seem that any archaeologist who simply inquires about it gets lumped into the project. Not a good way to do things but, hey, that's just my opinion...lol

Stephanie

In every man there is something wherein I may learn of him, and in that I am his pupil.--Ralph Waldo Emerson

It appears to be a tactic he is using that will soon backfire on him.

Steve LeMaster

You should contact a newspaper - see if they will report some facts for a change..

Sead Pilav, the young archaeologist who was supposedly mapping the tunnels, tells me he spent 3 days there in May and left because he found the entire project to be unprofessional and unserious.

Doug Weller

Director The Hall of Ma'at
Doug's Skeptical Archaeology site: [www.ramtops.co.uk]



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 06/08/06 06:23PM by DougWeller.

>>a shonky business or a shonky business venture. Does that describe the BP?

That seems more like Monkey Business to me

-Joe.

Interesting .... can you send me his email addy? Or email him and ask him to email me.. I have a question or two about those tunnels...

Kat

Ma'at Moderator

Founder and Director of The Hall of Ma'at
Amun: Co-Owner/Co-Moderator
Contributing author to Archaeological Fantasies:
How pseudoarchaeology misrepresents the past and misleads the public
Kat's Personal Site


"If you panic, you're lost" -- W. T. 'Watertight' Southard

Kat wrotye:

"Interesting .... can you send me his email addy?
Or email him and ask him to email me.. I have a
question or two about those tunnels..."

Hrvatovic (2000) decribed the Miocene lake deposits, which fill an
intermountaine basin, the Sarajevo-Zenica basin, in which Visocica,
and Visocica lies, as consisting of marls, clays, conglomerate,
sandstone, siltstone, and coal. The older Miocene strata contain
major coal seams. This certainly raises the possibility that these
tunnels could be related to local coal mining. The total thickness
of Miocene lake sediments filling the Sarajevo-Zenica basin is
about 2.5 to 3.0 kilometers (Hrvatovic 2000).

Hrvatoric, H. 2000, Postorogenic intramountain basin. In Pancardi
2000: Pannonian Basin, Carpathian and Dinaride System, Geological
Meeting on Dynamic of the Ongoing Orogeny, D. Balen and others,
eds., pp. 74-75, Croatian Geological Society and University of
Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.

Yours,

Paul H.



Edited 2 times. Last edit at 06/09/06 02:29AM by Paul H..

Its highly likely that the tunnels were related to mining ... the area was mined for copper as long ago as 2,000 to 3,000 BC ... and then the Romans heavily mined the area when they came along.

Quote:

Hrvatovic (2000) decribed the Miocene lake deposits, which fill an
intermountaine basin, the Sarajevo-Zenica basin, in which Visocica,
and Visocica lies, as consisting of marls, clays, conglomerate,
sandstone, siltstone, and coal.

That's *very* interesting since Osmanagich claimed that sandstone doesn't occur naturally in the area

Kat

Ma'at Moderator

Founder and Director of The Hall of Ma'at
Amun: Co-Owner/Co-Moderator
Contributing author to Archaeological Fantasies:
How pseudoarchaeology misrepresents the past and misleads the public
Kat's Personal Site


"If you panic, you're lost" -- W. T. 'Watertight' Southard

As far as I know he said that it didn't occuts in that level ie. prior (closer to the surface) then the older elements.

That area was mined does not mean that, that perticular spot was mined. Romans mined some but far from "heavily mined" the area. Most of the mining occured during 1945 - present and is mostly done in areas around Kanjan, Zenica, Breza and Banovici. Nothing around Visoko.

Haris

To be honest with you Haris after what we've learned I highly doubt the veracity of anything Osmanagic says.

Unfortunately I've returned the books to the library that had the information on the mining by the Romans, but I'm fairly sure they mentioned mining in the area.

Kat

Ma'at Moderator

Founder and Director of The Hall of Ma'at
Amun: Co-Owner/Co-Moderator
Contributing author to Archaeological Fantasies:
How pseudoarchaeology misrepresents the past and misleads the public
Kat's Personal Site


"If you panic, you're lost" -- W. T. 'Watertight' Southard



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 06/09/06 04:05AM by Katherine Reece.

I have now heard from Chris as well ... he is NOT working on the Bosnian "pyramid" site ...the use of his name by Osmanagic is even more bizarre .. Chris does not know how Osmanagic came by his name and says he did not contact him.



Kat

Ma'at Moderator

Founder and Director of The Hall of Ma'at
Amun: Co-Owner/Co-Moderator
Contributing author to Archaeological Fantasies:
How pseudoarchaeology misrepresents the past and misleads the public
Kat's Personal Site


"If you panic, you're lost" -- W. T. 'Watertight' Southard

Unless they defined the area it could mean anything from Balkans to Visoko. Breza and Kakanj are in the Visoko area. Some 30km or some to the south and north.